In Hot Water

I remember in college having a section in one of my design classes regarding warranties and how to determine how long to set it at.  We had to look at things like fatigue, stress, and deterioration and add in a safety factor.  Anything after that is a bonus.  That is why things always seem to break right after the warranty expires.  No, there isn't some sort of goofy law (like Murphy's, Cheop's, or Gumperson's...  Look the last couple up) that controls when things will break, they are designed that way.

So a few days ago when I was in the basement putting some tools away and I saw a trail of water running from the water heater to the floor drain, I knew it wasn't good.  I looked at the tag on the water heater and it was installed in July of 2003.  the warranty on the tank was 12 years.  Perfect!  However, I still had four months on the warranty.  But here is where Murphy's Law kicks in....  I couldn't find any of my paperwork (receipts, warranty card, etc.) for it.  Unfortunately without that, I couldn't make a warranty claim.  Thanks GE!  You suck!  So now I'll have to start looking for a new hot water heater.  It is just perfect timing.  I suppose it is always something.